Campaigning triggers warnings

Published: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 11:33 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 11:39 a.m.

THIBODAUX — The Lafourche Parish Registrar of Voters is short-handed on election monitors, a fact made clear on Saturday when workers were stretched thin trying to prevent illegal campaign activity outside the office.

Early voting started Saturday for a slew of federal, state and local offices and propositions on the Oct. 2 ballot. But Tammy Wendelschaefer, an administrative coordinator for the Registrar's Office, said she had more to worry about than voters heading to the polls.

She said there were numerous reports of illegal campaign activity occurring around the Registrar's Office, but workers were only able to respond to a handful of the reports, which came by word of mouth from voters at the office and from phone calls.

“We were so busy,” she said. “By the time we found out, they were gone.”

Wendelschaefer said she warned three individuals who were pushing voters trying to enter the office to cast a ballot for certain candidates. She said she had to warn each of the three twice and threatened to call the police before they stopped.

The Louisiana Election Code bans campaigning within 600 feet of a polling location while voters are headed to the polls.

“We did on several occasions have to ask people to leave,” she said. “They were loitering in the parking lots and they were discussing ballot items. It was obviously a show of support.”

The Registrar's Office has sent an inquiry to the Secretary of State's Office to determine what steps need to be taken to acquire a security guard to be stationed outside the office. As of Tuesday afternoon, the state had not responded, but Wendelschaefer said she hopes to have one in place by this Saturday.

Wendelschaefer refused to say who the individuals were or which candidates they were campaigning for, though she did say the supporters were campaigning for more than one candidate.

But one of the city's mayoral candidates has called foul.

Tommy Eschete, challenging Mayor Charles Caillouet, said he saw two Caillouet supporters “hanging around outside the doors of the Registrar's Office.” Eschete said he drove to the Registrar's Office about 5:30 p.m. Saturday after receiving complaints that Caillouet supporters were campaigning outside the office. When he arrived, he said he saw the city's recreation director, Ron Alcorn, and a city employee, Wilbert Brown, outside the office with their vehicles adorned with Caillouet bumper stickers. Brown is a temporary city employee and is exempt from civil-service laws banning campaigning.

“They shouldn't have been there,” Eschete said, adding that he did not actually see either of them haggling voters. He declined to provide the name of the caller who told Eschete he witnessed the two campaigning near the office. Caillouet said he was not aware of any warning issued to his supporters, and he questioned Eschete's credibility.

“I have not been notified by anybody except a complaint made by my opponent,” he said. “I could just make up stuff too and say it happened, but I'm not going to do that.”

Caillouet said his supporters were only helping take voters to the polls on Saturday — a practice Eschete said his supporters do also.

Alcorn is on vacation and could not be reached for comment, and Brown did not return phone calls placed to his home.

Vernon Rodrigue, the Lafourche Clerk of Court, said Eschete approached him on Monday morning to complain about what he saw in front of the Registrar's Office.

“Generally, if this happened on election day, my first reaction is to call the candidate to get his supporters out of there,” Rodrigue said. He has not called Caillouet because he was informed only after the alleged violations took place.

Illegal campaign activity near a polling site can be as minor as wearing a T-shirt with a candidate's name or ballot number on it. Wendelschaefer said bumper stickers on vehicles are fine for small periods of time but become an issue if the car remains parked within 600 feet of the office after the driver and any passengers have voted.

On election day, Rodrigue said he takes a three-step process to address reported violations.

When informed of a violation, he will first place a “courtesy call” with the candidate to tell them to remedy the violation. If that doesn't work, he will call Thibodaux Police to enforce the law, and will then call the Lafourche Sheriff's Office if local police do not resolve the issue.

Staff Writer Nate Monroe can be reached at 448-7639 or at nate.monroe@dailycomet.com.

<p>THIBODAUX — The Lafourche Parish Registrar of Voters is short-handed on election monitors, a fact made clear on Saturday when workers were stretched thin trying to prevent illegal campaign activity outside the office. </p><p>Early voting started Saturday for a slew of federal, state and local offices and propositions on the Oct. 2 ballot. But Tammy Wendelschaefer, an administrative coordinator for the Registrar's Office, said she had more to worry about than voters heading to the polls.</p><p>She said there were numerous reports of illegal campaign activity occurring around the Registrar's Office, but workers were only able to respond to a handful of the reports, which came by word of mouth from voters at the office and from phone calls. </p><p>“We were so busy,” she said. “By the time we found out, they were gone.” </p><p>Wendelschaefer said she warned three individuals who were pushing voters trying to enter the office to cast a ballot for certain candidates. She said she had to warn each of the three twice and threatened to call the police before they stopped. </p><p>The Louisiana Election Code bans campaigning within 600 feet of a polling location while voters are headed to the polls. </p><p>“We did on several occasions have to ask people to leave,” she said. “They were loitering in the parking lots and they were discussing ballot items. It was obviously a show of support.” </p><p>The Registrar's Office has sent an inquiry to the Secretary of State's Office to determine what steps need to be taken to acquire a security guard to be stationed outside the office. As of Tuesday afternoon, the state had not responded, but Wendelschaefer said she hopes to have one in place by this Saturday.</p><p>Wendelschaefer refused to say who the individuals were or which candidates they were campaigning for, though she did say the supporters were campaigning for more than one candidate. </p><p>But one of the city's mayoral candidates has called foul. </p><p>Tommy Eschete, challenging Mayor Charles Caillouet, said he saw two Caillouet supporters “hanging around outside the doors of the Registrar's Office.” Eschete said he drove to the Registrar's Office about 5:30 p.m. Saturday after receiving complaints that Caillouet supporters were campaigning outside the office. When he arrived, he said he saw the city's recreation director, Ron Alcorn, and a city employee, Wilbert Brown, outside the office with their vehicles adorned with Caillouet bumper stickers. Brown is a temporary city employee and is exempt from civil-service laws banning campaigning. </p><p>“They shouldn't have been there,” Eschete said, adding that he did not actually see either of them haggling voters. He declined to provide the name of the caller who told Eschete he witnessed the two campaigning near the office. Caillouet said he was not aware of any warning issued to his supporters, and he questioned Eschete's credibility.</p><p>“I have not been notified by anybody except a complaint made by my opponent,” he said. “I could just make up stuff too and say it happened, but I'm not going to do that.” </p><p>Caillouet said his supporters were only helping take voters to the polls on Saturday — a practice Eschete said his supporters do also. </p><p>Alcorn is on vacation and could not be reached for comment, and Brown did not return phone calls placed to his home. </p><p>Vernon Rodrigue, the Lafourche Clerk of Court, said Eschete approached him on Monday morning to complain about what he saw in front of the Registrar's Office.</p><p>“Generally, if this happened on election day, my first reaction is to call the candidate to get his supporters out of there,” Rodrigue said. He has not called Caillouet because he was informed only after the alleged violations took place.</p><p>Illegal campaign activity near a polling site can be as minor as wearing a T-shirt with a candidate's name or ballot number on it. Wendelschaefer said bumper stickers on vehicles are fine for small periods of time but become an issue if the car remains parked within 600 feet of the office after the driver and any passengers have voted. </p><p>On election day, Rodrigue said he takes a three-step process to address reported violations. </p><p>When informed of a violation, he will first place a “courtesy call” with the candidate to tell them to remedy the violation. If that doesn't work, he will call Thibodaux Police to enforce the law, and will then call the Lafourche Sheriff's Office if local police do not resolve the issue. </p><p>Staff Writer Nate Monroe can be reached at 448-7639 or at nate.monroe@dailycomet.com.</p>